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Han J, Zhang Y, Xu J, Zhang T, Wang H, Wang Z, Jiang Y, Zhou L, Yang M, Hua Y, Cai Z. Her4 promotes cancer metabolic reprogramming via the c-Myc-dependent signaling axis. Cancer Lett 2020; 496:57-71. [PMID: 33038488 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2020.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Despite the growing recognition of metabolic reprogramming as an important hallmark of cancer in the past few years, the molecular mechanisms underlying metabolic alterations during tumorigenesis remain unclear. In this study, we identified a critical role of Her4 in rewiring cancer metabolism toward tumor-promoting metabolic processes, including increased glycolysis, glutaminolysis, mitochondrial biogenesis, and oxidative phosphorylation, which may in part cooperate to promote tumorigenesis. We found that overexpression of Her4 promoted the stabilization of c-Myc through a CIP2A-mediated increase in c-MycS62 phosphorylation and GSK3β-mediated decrease in c-MycT58 phosphorylation, both of which decreased c-Myc degradation. Furthermore, Her4 was found to increase glucose uptake and tumor growth in an osteosarcoma xenograft model. Overall, these findings provide a better understanding of the involvement of Her4 in tumorigenesis and document its potential role in metabolic reprogramming for the first time. We believe that our study might lead to promising opportunities for targeted metabolic therapy for cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Han
- Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Bone Tumor Institution, Shanghai 200080, PR China
| | - Yangfeng Zhang
- Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Bone Tumor Institution, Shanghai 200080, PR China
| | - Jing Xu
- Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Bone Tumor Institution, Shanghai 200080, PR China
| | - Tao Zhang
- Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Bone Tumor Institution, Shanghai 200080, PR China
| | - Hongsheng Wang
- Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Bone Tumor Institution, Shanghai 200080, PR China
| | - Zhuoying Wang
- Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Bone Tumor Institution, Shanghai 200080, PR China
| | - Yafei Jiang
- Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Bone Tumor Institution, Shanghai 200080, PR China
| | - Lei Zhou
- Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Bone Tumor Institution, Shanghai 200080, PR China
| | - Mengkai Yang
- Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Bone Tumor Institution, Shanghai 200080, PR China
| | - Yingqi Hua
- Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Bone Tumor Institution, Shanghai 200080, PR China.
| | - Zhengdong Cai
- Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Bone Tumor Institution, Shanghai 200080, PR China.
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2
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Zangouei AS, Barjasteh AH, Rahimi HR, Mojarrad M, Moghbeli M. Role of tyrosine kinases in bladder cancer progression: an overview. Cell Commun Signal 2020; 18:127. [PMID: 32795296 PMCID: PMC7427778 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-020-00625-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Bladder cancer (BCa) is a frequent urothelial malignancy with a high ratio of morbidity and mortality. Various genetic and environmental factors are involved in BCa progression. Since, majority of BCa cases are diagnosed after macroscopic clinical symptoms, it is required to find efficient markers for the early detection. Receptor tyrosine-kinases (RTKs) and non-receptor tyrosine-kinases (nRTKs) have pivotal roles in various cellular processes such as growth, migration, differentiation, and metabolism through different signaling pathways. Tyrosine-kinase deregulations are observed during tumor progressions via mutations, amplification, and chromosomal abnormalities which introduces these factors as important candidates of anti-cancer therapies. Main body For the first time in present review we have summarized all of the reported tyrosine-kinases which have been significantly associated with the clinicopathological features of BCa patients. Conclusions This review highlights the importance of tyrosine-kinases as critical markers in early detection and therapeutic purposes among BCa patients and clarifies the molecular biology of tyrosine-kinases during BCa progression and metastasis. Video abstract
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Sadra Zangouei
- Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Amir Hossein Barjasteh
- Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Hamid Reza Rahimi
- Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Majid Mojarrad
- Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Meysam Moghbeli
- Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
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3
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Liu Q, Borcherding NC, Shao P, Maina PK, Zhang W, Qi HH. Contribution of synergism between PHF8 and HER2 signalling to breast cancer development and drug resistance. EBioMedicine 2020; 51:102612. [PMID: 31923801 PMCID: PMC7000350 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2019.102612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Revised: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND HER2 plays a critical role in tumourigenesis and is associated with poor prognosis of patients with HER2-positive breast cancers. Although anti-HER2 drugs are beneficial for treating breast cancer, de novo, or acquired resistance often develops. Epigenetic factors are increasingly targeted for therapy; however, such mechanisms that interact with HER2 signalling are poorly understood. METHODS RNA sequencing was performed to identify PHF8 targets downstream of HER2 signalling. CHIP-qPCR were used to investigate how PHF8 regulates HER2 transcription. ELISA determined cytokine secretion. Cell-based assay revealed a feed forward loop in HER2 signalling and then evaluated in vivo. FINDINGS We report the synergistic interplay between histone demethylase PHF8 and HER2 signalling. Specifically, PHF8 levels were elevated in HER2-positive breast cancers and upregulated by HER2. PHF8 functioned as a coactivator that regulated the expression of HER2, markers of the HER2-driven epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and cytokines. The HER2-PHF8-IL-6 regulatory axis was active in cell lines and in newly established MMTV-Her2/MMTV-Cre/Phf8fl°x/fl°x mouse models, which revealed the oncogenic function of Phf8 in breast cancer for the first time. Further, the PHF8-IL-6 axis contributed to the resistance to trastuzumab in vitro and may play a critical role in the infiltration of T cells in HER2-driven breast cancers. INTERPRETATION These findings provided informative mechanistic insight into the potential application of PHF8 inhibitors to overcome resistance to anti-HER2 therapies. FUNDING This work was supported by Carver Trust Young Investigator Award (01-224 to H.H.Q); and a Breast Cancer Research Award (to H.H.Q.).
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Liu
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA; Department of Urology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Nicholas C Borcherding
- Department of Pathology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Peng Shao
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Peterson K Maina
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA; Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Weizhou Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610-0275, USA
| | - Hank H Qi
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
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Dai X, Cheng H, Chen X, Li T, Zhang J, Jin G, Cai D, Huang Z. FOXA1 is Prognostic of Triple Negative Breast Cancers by Transcriptionally Suppressing SOD2 and IL6. Int J Biol Sci 2019; 15:1030-1041. [PMID: 31182923 PMCID: PMC6535797 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.31009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Having markers feasible for breast cancer subtyping, especially for triple negative breast cancer identification is crucial for improving the treatment outcome of such cancers. Here we explore the role of FOXA1 in characterizing triple negative breast cancers and the driving mechanisms. Through in vitro examination of the expression pattern at both transcriptional and translational levels, patient relapse-free survival analysis, immunohistochemistry staining and prediction power assessment using clinical samples, as well as functional studies, we systematically compared the role of FOXA1 in identifying triple negative and luminal type of breast cancers and explored the mechanisms driving such functionalities. We report that FOXA1 under-expression can lead to increased malignancy and cancer stemness, and is a subtyping marker identifying triple negative breast cancers rather than the luminal subtype by transcriptionally suppressing the expression of SOD2 and IL6. We are the first to systematically address the significance of FOXA1 in triple negative breast cancer identification as a biomarker and elucidate the mechanism at the molecular level, through a sequential bioinformatics analysis and experimental validations both in vitro and in clinics. Our discoveries compliment the current biomarker modalities once verified using larger clinical cohorts and improve the precision on characterizing breast cancer heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofeng Dai
- Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Hongye Cheng
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Xiao Chen
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Ting Li
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Jia Zhang
- Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
- Wuxi Cancer Institute, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Guoyin Jin
- Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
- Wuxi Cancer Institute, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Dongyan Cai
- Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
- Wuxi Cancer Institute, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Zhaohui Huang
- Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
- Wuxi Cancer Institute, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
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5
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Naab TJ, Gautam A, Ricks-Santi L, Esnakula AK, Kanaan YM, DeWitty RL, Asgedom G, Makambi KH, Abawi M, Blancato JK. MYC amplification in subtypes of breast cancers in African American women. BMC Cancer 2018. [PMID: 29523126 PMCID: PMC5845301 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-018-4171-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background MYC overexpression is associated with poor prognosis in breast tumors (BCa). The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of MYC amplification and associated markers in BCa tumors from African American (AA) women and determine the associations between MYC amplification and clinico-pathological characteristics. Methods We analyzed 70 cases of well characterized archival breast ductal carcinoma specimens from AA women for MYC oncogene amplification. Utilizing immune histochemical analysis estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and (HER2/neu), were assessed. Cases were Luminal A (ER or PR+, Ki-67 < 14%), Luminal B (ER or PR+, Ki-67 = > 14% or ER or PR+ HER2+), HER2 (ER-, PR-, HER2+), and Triple Negative (ER-, PR-, HER2-) with basal-like phenotype. The relationship between MYC amplification and prognostic clinico-pathological characteristics was determined using chi square and logistic regression modeling. Results Sixty-five (97%) of the tumors showed MYC gene amplification (MYC: CEP8 > 1). Statistically significant associations were found between MYC amplification and HER2-amplified BCa, and Luminal B subtypes of BCa (p < 0.0001), stage (p < 0.001), metastasis (p < 0.001), and positive lymph node status (p = 0.039). MYC amplification was associated with HER2 status (p = 0.01) and tumor size (p = 0.01). High MYC amplification was seen in grade III carcinomas (MYC: CEP8 = 2.42), pre-menopausal women (MYC: CEP8 = 2.49), PR-negative status (MYC: CEP8 = 2.42), and ER-positive status (MYC: CEP8 = 2.4). Conclusions HER2 positive BCas in AA women are likely to exhibit MYC amplification. High amplification ratios suggest that MYC drives HER2 amplification, especially in HER2 positive, Luminal B, and subtypes of BCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tammey J Naab
- Department of Pathology, Howard University College of Medicine, Howard University Hospital, 2041 Georgia Avenue Rm. 1M-06, Washington DC, NW, 20060, USA
| | - Anita Gautam
- Department of Oncology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 373 Plantation street Suite# 318, Worcester, MA, 01581, England
| | - Luisel Ricks-Santi
- Cancer Research Center, Department of Biological Sciences, Hampton University, 100 E. Queen Street, Hampton, VA, 23668, USA
| | - Ashwini K Esnakula
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, P.O. Box 100275, 1600 SW Archer Road, Gainesville, FL, 32610-0275, USA
| | - Yasmine M Kanaan
- Department of Microbiology, Howard University College of Medicine, 2041 Georgia Avenue Rm. 1M-06, Washington DC, NW, 20060, USA
| | - Robert L DeWitty
- Department of Surgery, Howard University Hospital, 2041 Georgia Avenue, Washington DC, NW, 20060, USA
| | - Girmay Asgedom
- Department of Medicine, Howard University Hospital, 2041 Georgia Avenue, Washington DC, NW, 20060, USA
| | - Khepher H Makambi
- Department of Biostatistics, Bioinformatics, and Biomathematics, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, 4000 Reservoir Road, Washington, DC, NW, 20057, USA
| | - Massih Abawi
- Inherited Cancer Program, GeneDx, 207 Perry Pkwy, Gaithersburg, MD, 20877, USA
| | - Jan K Blancato
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Georgetown University Medical Centre, 3800 Reservoir Road, Washington DC, NW, 20007, USA.
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Kim WE, Yue B, Serrero G. Signaling Pathway of GP88 (Progranulin) in Breast Cancer Cells: Upregulation and Phosphorylation of c-myc by GP88/Progranulin in Her2-Overexpressing Breast Cancer Cells. BREAST CANCER-BASIC AND CLINICAL RESEARCH 2016; 9:71-7. [PMID: 27168723 PMCID: PMC4859449 DOI: 10.4137/bcbcr.s29371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2016] [Revised: 03/08/2016] [Accepted: 03/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Her2 is a receptor tyrosine kinase overexpressed in 25% of breast tumors. We have shown that the 88 kDa autocrine growth and survival factor GP88 (progranulin) stimulated Her2 phosphorylation and proliferation and conferred Herceptin resistance in Her2-overexpressing cells. Herein, we report that GP88 stimulates c-myc phosphorylation and upregulates c-myc levels in Her2-overexpressing cells. c-myc phosphorylation and upregulation by GP88 were not observed in non-Her2-overexpressing breast cancer cells. c-myc activation was inhibited upon treatment with ERK, PI3 kinase, and c-src pathway inhibitors, U0126, LY294002, and PP2. GP88 also stimulated c-src phosphorylation, a known upstream regulator of c-myc. Thus, we describe here a signaling pathway for GP88 in Her2-overexpressing cells, with GP88 stimulating Src phosphorylation, followed by phosphorylation and upregulation of c-myc. These data would suggest that targeting GP88 could provide a novel treatment approach in breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wes E Kim
- A&G Pharmaceutical Inc., Columbia, MD, USA
| | - Binbin Yue
- A&G Pharmaceutical Inc., Columbia, MD, USA
| | - Ginette Serrero
- A&G Pharmaceutical Inc., Columbia, MD, USA.; Member of the Program in Oncology, Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
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7
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Yan JF, Kim H, Jeong SK, Lee HJ, Sethi MK, Lee LY, Beavis RC, Im H, Snyder MP, Hofree M, Ideker T, Wu SL, Paik YK, Fanayan S, Hancock WS. Integrated Proteomic and Genomic Analysis of Gastric Cancer Patient Tissues. J Proteome Res 2015; 14:4995-5006. [PMID: 26435392 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.5b00827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
V-erb-b2 erythroblastic leukemia viral oncogene homologue 2, known as ERBB2, is an important oncogene in the development of certain cancers. It can form a heterodimer with other epidermal growth factor receptor family members and activate kinase-mediated downstream signaling pathways. ERBB2 gene is located on chromosome 17 and is amplified in a subset of cancers, such as breast, gastric, and colon cancer. Of particular interest to the Chromosome-Centric Human Proteome Project (C-HPP) initiative is the amplification mechanism that typically results in overexpression of a set of genes adjacent to ERBB2, which provides evidence of a linkage between gene location and expression. In this report we studied patient samples from ERBB2-positive together with adjacent control nontumor tissues. In addition, non-ERBB2-expressing patient samples were selected as comparison to study the effect of expression of this oncogene. We detected 196 proteins in ERBB2-positive patient tumor samples that had minimal overlap (29 proteins) with the non-ERBB2 tumor samples. Interaction and pathway analysis identified extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) cascade and actin polymerization and actinmyosin assembly contraction as pathways of importance in ERBB2+ and ERBB2- gastric cancer samples, respectively. The raw data files are deposited at ProteomeXchange (identifier: PXD002674) as well as GPMDB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Fangfei Yan
- Barnett Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University , 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Hoguen Kim
- Yonsei University College of Medicine, Yonsei University , 50-1 Yonsei-Ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-752, Korea
| | - Seul-Ki Jeong
- Yonsei Proteome Research Center, Yonsei University , 262 Seongsanno, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-749, Korea
| | - Hyoung-Joo Lee
- Yonsei Proteome Research Center, Yonsei University , 262 Seongsanno, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-749, Korea
| | - Manveen K Sethi
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University , Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Ling Y Lee
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University , Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Ronald C Beavis
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba , 745 Bannatyne Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3E 0J9, Canada
| | - Hogune Im
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University , Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Michael P Snyder
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University , Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Matan Hofree
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California, San Diego , 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Trey Ideker
- Program in Bioinformatics, University of California, San Diego , 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Shiaw-Lin Wu
- Barnett Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University , 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Young-Ki Paik
- Yonsei University College of Medicine, Yonsei University , 50-1 Yonsei-Ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-752, Korea.,Yonsei Proteome Research Center, Yonsei University , 262 Seongsanno, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-749, Korea
| | - Susan Fanayan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Macquarie University , Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - William S Hancock
- Barnett Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University , 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
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Uitdehaag JCM, de Roos JADM, van Doornmalen AM, Prinsen MBW, Spijkers-Hagelstein JAP, de Vetter JRF, de Man J, Buijsman RC, Zaman GJR. Selective Targeting of CTNBB1-, KRAS- or MYC-Driven Cell Growth by Combinations of Existing Drugs. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0125021. [PMID: 26018524 PMCID: PMC4446296 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0125021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2014] [Accepted: 03/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of combination drug treatment in cancer therapy is to improve response rate and to decrease the probability of the development of drug resistance. Preferably, drug combinations are synergistic rather than additive, and, ideally, drug combinations work synergistically only in cancer cells and not in non-malignant cells. We have developed a workflow to identify such targeted synergies, and applied this approach to selectively inhibit the proliferation of cell lines with mutations in genes that are difficult to modulate with small molecules. The approach is based on curve shift analysis, which we demonstrate is a more robust method of determining synergy than combination matrix screening with Bliss-scoring. We show that the MEK inhibitor trametinib is more synergistic in combination with the BRAF inhibitor dabrafenib than with vemurafenib, another BRAF inhibitor. In addition, we show that the combination of MEK and BRAF inhibitors is synergistic in BRAF-mutant melanoma cells, and additive or antagonistic in, respectively, BRAF-wild type melanoma cells and non-malignant fibroblasts. This combination exemplifies that synergistic action of drugs can depend on cancer genotype. Next, we used curve shift analysis to identify new drug combinations that specifically inhibit cancer cell proliferation driven by difficult-to-drug cancer genes. Combination studies were performed with compounds that as single agents showed preference for inhibition of cancer cells with mutations in either the CTNNB1 gene (coding for β-catenin), KRAS, or cancer cells expressing increased copy numbers of MYC. We demonstrate that the Wnt-pathway inhibitor ICG-001 and trametinib acted synergistically in Wnt-pathway-mutant cell lines. The ERBB2 inhibitor TAK-165 was synergistic with trametinib in KRAS-mutant cell lines. The EGFR/ERBB2 inhibitor neratinib acted synergistically with the spindle poison docetaxel and with the Aurora kinase inhibitor GSK-1070916 in cell lines with MYC amplification. Our approach can therefore efficiently discover novel drug combinations that selectively target cancer genes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Jos de Man
- Netherlands Translational Research Center B.V., Oss, The Netherlands
| | | | - Guido J. R. Zaman
- Netherlands Translational Research Center B.V., Oss, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
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9
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Dorstyn L, Puccini J, Nikolic A, Shalini S, Wilson CH, Norris MD, Haber M, Kumar S. An unexpected role for caspase-2 in neuroblastoma. Cell Death Dis 2014; 5:e1383. [PMID: 25144718 PMCID: PMC4454317 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2014.342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2014] [Accepted: 07/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Caspase-2 has been implicated in various cellular functions, including cell death by apoptosis, oxidative stress response, maintenance of genomic stability and tumor suppression. The loss of the caspase-2 gene (Casp2) enhances oncogene-mediated tumorigenesis induced by E1A/Ras in athymic nude mice, and also in the Eμ-Myc lymphoma and MMTV/c-neu mammary tumor mouse models. To further investigate the function of caspase-2 in oncogene-mediated tumorigenesis, we extended our studies in the TH-MYCN transgenic mouse model of neuroblastoma. Surprisingly, we found that loss of caspase-2 delayed tumorigenesis in the TH-MYCN neuroblastoma model. In addition, tumors from TH-MYCN/Casp2−/− mice were predominantly thoracic paraspinal tumors and were less vascularized compared with tumors from their TH-MYCN/Casp2+/+ counterparts. We did not detect any differences in the expression of neuroblastoma-associated genes in TH-MYCN/Casp2−/− tumors, or in the activation of Ras/MAPK signaling pathway that is involved in neuroblastoma progression. Analysis of expression array data from human neuroblastoma samples showed a correlation between low caspase-2 levels and increased survival. However, caspase-2 levels correlated with clinical outcome only in the subset of MYCN-non-amplified human neuroblastoma. These observations indicate that caspase-2 is not a suppressor in MYCN-induced neuroblastoma and suggest a tissue and context-specific role for caspase-2 in tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Dorstyn
- 1] Centre for Cancer Biology, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia [2] Department of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - J Puccini
- Centre for Cancer Biology, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
| | - A Nikolic
- Centre for Cancer Biology, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
| | - S Shalini
- Centre for Cancer Biology, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
| | - C H Wilson
- Centre for Cancer Biology, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
| | - M D Norris
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - M Haber
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - S Kumar
- 1] Centre for Cancer Biology, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia [2] Department of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
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10
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c-Myc and Her2 cooperate to drive a stem-like phenotype with poor prognosis in breast cancer. Oncogene 2013; 33:3992-4002. [DOI: 10.1038/onc.2013.368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2013] [Revised: 07/23/2013] [Accepted: 07/26/2013] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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11
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Deblois G, St-Pierre J, Giguère V. The PGC-1/ERR signaling axis in cancer. Oncogene 2013; 32:3483-90. [PMID: 23208510 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2012.529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2012] [Revised: 10/15/2012] [Accepted: 10/15/2012] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Proliferating cells need to produce a large amount of energy and, at the same time, need to maintain a constant supply of biosynthetic precursors of macromolecules that are used as building blocks for generating new cells. Indeed, many cancer cells undergo a switch from mitochondrial to glycolytic metabolism and display a truncated tricarboxylic acid cycle to match these specific metabolic requirements of proliferation. Understanding the mechanisms by which cancer cells reprogram various metabolic pathways to satisfy their unique bioenergetic requirements has become an active field of research. Concomitantly, it has emerged that members of a family of orphan nuclear receptors known as the estrogen-related receptors (ERRs), working in concert with members of the PPARγ coactivator (PGC)-1 family, act as central transcriptional regulators of metabolic gene networks involved in maintaining energy homeostasis in normal cells. Recent studies have suggested that the PGC-1/ERR transcriptional axis is also important in the metabolic reprogramming of cancer cells. This review focuses on the functional integration of the PGC-1/ERR axis with known oncogenes and the observation that modulation of the activity of this axis can have both pro- and anti-proliferative properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Deblois
- Department of Biochemistry and Goodman Cancer Research Centre, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Gao J, Aksoy BA, Dogrusoz U, Dresdner G, Gross B, Sumer SO, Sun Y, Jacobsen A, Sinha R, Larsson E, Cerami E, Sander C, Schultz N. Integrative analysis of complex cancer genomics and clinical profiles using the cBioPortal. Sci Signal 2013; 6:pl1. [PMID: 23550210 PMCID: PMC4160307 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.2004088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10025] [Impact Index Per Article: 911.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The cBioPortal for Cancer Genomics (http://cbioportal.org) provides a Web resource for exploring, visualizing, and analyzing multidimensional cancer genomics data. The portal reduces molecular profiling data from cancer tissues and cell lines into readily understandable genetic, epigenetic, gene expression, and proteomic events. The query interface combined with customized data storage enables researchers to interactively explore genetic alterations across samples, genes, and pathways and, when available in the underlying data, to link these to clinical outcomes. The portal provides graphical summaries of gene-level data from multiple platforms, network visualization and analysis, survival analysis, patient-centric queries, and software programmatic access. The intuitive Web interface of the portal makes complex cancer genomics profiles accessible to researchers and clinicians without requiring bioinformatics expertise, thus facilitating biological discoveries. Here, we provide a practical guide to the analysis and visualization features of the cBioPortal for Cancer Genomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianjiong Gao
- Computational Biology Center, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
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13
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Cell proliferation inhibitory and apoptosis-inducing properties of anacardic acid and lunasin in human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. Food Chem 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2010.09.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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Si J, Yu X, Zhang Y, DeWille JW. Myc interacts with Max and Miz1 to repress C/EBPdelta promoter activity and gene expression. Mol Cancer 2010; 9:92. [PMID: 20426839 PMCID: PMC2879254 DOI: 10.1186/1476-4598-9-92] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2009] [Accepted: 04/28/2010] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND "Loss of function" alterations in CCAAT/Enhancer Binding Proteindelta (C/EBPdelta) have been reported in a number of human cancers including breast, prostate and cervical cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma and acute myeloid leukemia. C/EBPdelta gene transcription is induced during cellular quiescence and repressed during active cell cycle progression. C/EBPdelta exhibits tumor suppressor gene properties including reduced expression in cancer cell lines and tumors and promoter methylation silencing. We previously reported that C/EBPdelta expression is inversely correlated with c-Myc (Myc) expression. Aberrant Myc expression is common in cancer and transcriptional repression is a major mechanism of Myc oncogenesis. A number of tumor suppressor genes are targets of Myc transcriptional repression including C/EBPalpha, p15INK4, p21CIP1, p27KIP1 and p57KIP2. This study investigated the mechanisms underlying Myc repression of C/EBPdelta expression. RESULTS Myc represses C/EBPdelta promoter activity in nontransformed mammary epithelial cells in a dose-dependent manner that requires Myc Box II, Basic Region and HLH/LZ domains. Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays demonstrate that Myc, Miz1 and Max are associated with the C/EBPdelta promoter in proliferating cells, when C/EBPdelta expression is repressed. EMSAs demonstrate that Miz1 binds to a 30 bp region (-100 to -70) of the C/EBPdelta promoter which contains a putative transcription initiator (Inr) element. Miz1 functions exclusively as a repressor of C/EBPdelta promoter activity. Miz1 siRNA expression or expression of a Miz1 binding deficient Myc (MycV394D) construct reduces Myc repression of C/EBPdelta promoter activity. Max siRNA expression, or expression of a Myc construct lacking the HLH/LZ (Max interacting) region, also reduces Myc repression of C/EBPdelta promoter activity. Miz1 and Max siRNA treatments attenuate Myc repression of endogenous C/EBPdelta expression. Myc Box II interacting proteins RuvBl1 (Pontin, TIP49) and RuvBl2 (Reptin, TIP48) enhances Myc repression of C/EBPdelta promoter activity. CONCLUSION Myc represses C/EBPdelta expression by associating with the C/EBPdelta proximal promoter as a transient component of a repressive complex that includes Max and Miz1. RuvBl1 and RuvBl2 enhance Myc repression of C/EBPdelta promoter activity. These results identify protein interactions that mediate Myc repression of C/EBPdelta, and possibly other tumor suppressor genes, and suggest new therapeutic targets to block Myc transcriptional repression and oncogenic function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junling Si
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
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15
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Stoelzle T, Schwarb P, Trumpp A, Hynes NE. c-Myc affects mRNA translation, cell proliferation and progenitor cell function in the mammary gland. BMC Biol 2009; 7:63. [PMID: 19785743 PMCID: PMC2761394 DOI: 10.1186/1741-7007-7-63] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2009] [Accepted: 09/28/2009] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The oncoprotein c-Myc has been intensely studied in breast cancer and mouse mammary tumor models, but relatively little is known about the normal physiological role of c-Myc in the mammary gland. Here we investigated functions of c-Myc during mouse mammary gland development using a conditional knockout approach. Results Generation of c-mycfl/fl mice carrying the mammary gland-specific WAPiCre transgene resulted in c-Myc loss in alveolar epithelial cells starting in mid-pregnancy. Three major phenotypes were observed in glands of mutant mice. First, c-Myc-deficient alveolar cells had a slower proliferative response at the start of pregnancy, causing a delay but not a block of alveolar development. Second, while milk composition was comparable between wild type and mutant animals, milk production was reduced in mutant glands, leading to slower pup weight-gain. Electron microscopy and polysome fractionation revealed a general decrease in translational efficiency. Furthermore, analysis of mRNA distribution along the polysome gradient demonstrated that this effect was specific for mRNAs whose protein products are involved in milk synthesis. Moreover, quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed decreased levels of ribosomal RNAs and ribosomal protein-encoding mRNAs in mutant glands. Third, using the mammary transplantation technique to functionally identify alveolar progenitor cells, we observed that the mutant epithelium has a reduced ability to repopulate the gland when transplanted into NOD/SCID recipients. Conclusion We have demonstrated that c-Myc plays multiple roles in the mouse mammary gland during pregnancy and lactation. c-Myc loss delayed, but did not block proliferation and differentiation in pregnancy. During lactation, lower levels of ribosomal RNAs and proteins were present and translation was generally decreased in mutant glands. Finally, the transplantation studies suggest a role for c-Myc in progenitor cell proliferation and/or survival. See related minireview by Evan et al:
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Stoelzle
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.
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16
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Li L, Willimsky G, Seitz S, Xu Y, Li Y, Schwarz LE, Schlag PM, Blankenstein T. SV40 large T antigen-transformed human primary normal and cancerous mammary epithelial cells are phenotypically similar but can be distinguished in 3D culture with selection medium. Int J Cancer 2008; 123:1516-25. [DOI: 10.1002/ijc.23657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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17
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Moasser MM. Targeting the function of the HER2 oncogene in human cancer therapeutics. Oncogene 2007; 26:6577-92. [PMID: 17486079 PMCID: PMC3071580 DOI: 10.1038/sj.onc.1210478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2007] [Accepted: 03/22/2007] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The year 2007 marks exactly two decades since human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) was functionally implicated in the pathogenesis of human breast cancer (Slamon et al., 1987). This finding established the HER2 oncogene hypothesis for the development of some human cancers. An abundance of experimental evidence compiled over the past two decades now solidly supports the HER2 oncogene hypothesis. A direct consequence of this hypothesis was the promise that inhibitors of oncogenic HER2 would be highly effective treatments for HER2-driven cancers. This treatment hypothesis has led to the development and widespread use of anti-HER2 antibodies (trastuzumab) in clinical management resulting in significantly improved clinical antitumor efficacies that have transformed the clinical practice of oncology. In the shadows of this irrefutable clinical success, scientific studies have not yet been able to mechanistically validate that trastuzumab inhibits oncogenic HER2 function and it remains possible that the current clinical advances are a consequence of the oncogene hypothesis, but not a translation of it. These looming scientific uncertainties suggest that the full promise of the treatment hypothesis may not yet have been realized. The coming decade will see a second generation of HER2-targeting agents brought into clinical testing and a renewed attempt to treat HER2-driven cancers through the inactivation of HER2. Here, I review the development of treatments that target HER2 in the context of the HER2 oncogene hypothesis, and where we stand with regards to the clinical translation of the HER2 oncogene hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- M M Moasser
- Department of Medicine, Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143-0875, USA.
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Moasser MM. The oncogene HER2: its signaling and transforming functions and its role in human cancer pathogenesis. Oncogene 2007; 26:6469-87. [PMID: 17471238 PMCID: PMC3021475 DOI: 10.1038/sj.onc.1210477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 726] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The year 2007 marks exactly two decades since Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-2 (HER2) was functionally implicated in the pathogenesis of human breast cancer. This finding established the HER2 oncogene hypothesis for the development of some human cancers. The subsequent two decades have brought about an explosion of information about the biology of HER2 and the HER family. An abundance of experimental evidence now solidly supports the HER2 oncogene hypothesis and etiologically links amplification of the HER2 gene locus with human cancer pathogenesis. The molecular mechanisms underlying HER2 tumorigenesis appear to be complex and a unified mechanistic model of HER2-induced transformation has not emerged. Numerous hypotheses implicating diverse transforming pathways have been proposed and are individually supported by experimental models and HER2 may indeed induce cell transformation through multiple mechanisms. Here I review the evidence supporting the oncogenic function of HER2, the mechanisms that are felt to mediate its oncogenic functions, and the evidence that links the experimental evidence with human cancer pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- M M Moasser
- Department of Medicine and Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143-0875, USA.
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Li JJ, Weroha SJ, Lingle WL, Papa D, Salisbury JL, Li SA. Estrogen mediates Aurora-A overexpression, centrosome amplification, chromosomal instability, and breast cancer in female ACI rats. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2004; 101:18123-8. [PMID: 15601761 PMCID: PMC539804 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0408273101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2004] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Estrogens play a crucial role in the causation and development of sporadic human breast cancer (BC). Chromosomal instability (CIN) is a defining trait of early human ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and is believed to precipitate breast oncogenesis. We reported earlier that 100% of female ACI (August/Copenhagen/Irish) rats treated with essentially physiological serum levels of 17beta-estradiol lead to mammary gland tumors with histopathologic, cellular, molecular, and ploidy changes remarkably similar to those seen in human DCIS and invasive sporadic ductal BC. Aurora-A (Aur-A), a centrosome kinase, and centrosome amplification have been implicated in the origin of aneuploidy via CIN. After 4 mo of estradiol treatment, levels of Aur-A and centrosomal proteins, gamma-tubulin and centrin, rose significantly in female ACI rat mammary glands and remained elevated in mammary tumors at 5-6 mo of estrogen treatment. Centrosome amplification was initially detected at 3 mo of treatment in focal dysplasias, before DCIS. At 5-6 mo, 90% of the mammary tumor centrosomes were amplified. Comparative genomic hybridization revealed nonrandom amplified chromosome regions in seven chromosomes with a frequency of 55-82% in 11 primary tumors each from individual rats. Thus, we report that estrogen is causally linked via estrogen receptor alpha to Aur-A overexpression, centrosome amplification, CIN, and aneuploidy leading to BC in susceptible mammary gland cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan J Li
- Hormonal Carcinogenesis Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
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Zhang Y, Yang HY, Zhang XC, Yang H, Tsai M, Lee MH. Tumor suppressor ARF inhibits HER-2/neu-mediated oncogenic growth. Oncogene 2004; 23:7132-43. [PMID: 15273726 DOI: 10.1038/sj.onc.1207918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
HER2/neu, a receptor tyrosine kinase oncogene, promotes mitogenic growth and antiapoptotic activity in cancer cells. Strong expression of HER2/neu in cancers has been associated with poor prognosis. Alternative reading frame protein (ARF), a tumor suppressor protein encoded by a gene located in the Ink4a/ARF gene locus, is frequently inactivated in human cancers. Little is known about the tumor suppressor role of ARF in HER2/neu-overexpressing cancers. Here, we applied the ARF gene as a tumor-suppressive agent for HER2/neu-overexpressing cells under the control of a tetracycline (tet)-regulated gene expression system. We found that ARF antagonized protein kinase B (PKB)/Akt-mediated p27Kip1 phosphorylation and increased p27 stability in HER2/neu-overexpressing cells. ARF expression also led to decreased levels of Cul1 and Skp2, two proteins involved in p27 degradation. We also found that ARF caused apoptosis in HER2/neu-overexpressing cells, and sensitized cells to apoptosis induced by the chemotherapeutic agents taxol and 2-methoxyestradiol. Most significantly for clinical application, we found that ARF inhibited HER2/neu-mediated cell growth, transformation, and tumorigenesis. These findings indicate that modulation of ARF activity may be a useful therapeutic intervention in HER2-overexpressing cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujiang Zhang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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Visvader JE, Lindeman GJ. Transcriptional regulators in mammary gland development and cancer. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2003; 35:1034-51. [PMID: 12672473 DOI: 10.1016/s1357-2725(03)00030-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The mammary gland represents a remarkable developmental system for the study of genetic programs underlying proliferation, differentiation and inductive tissue interactions. Mammary gland ontogeny occurs predominantly in the adult and involves a complex cycle of morphogenesis, with the continuous production, differentiation and apoptosis of mammary epithelial cells occurring with each pregnancy. Perturbations in pathways controlling any of these processes may lead to neoplasia. Substantial progress has been made in defining signaling pathways important for mammopoiesis, in particular those that mediate the effects of peptide and steroid hormones. However, much less is known about the transcriptional regulators that dictate cell specificity, proliferation and differentiation within the mammary gland. This review will discuss recent insights into the transcriptional networks important for mammary gland development and consider how deregulation of specific transcription factors contributes to the pathogenesis of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane E Visvader
- VBCRC Laboratory, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Vic Parkville 3050, Australia.
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22
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Schlotter CM, Vogt U, Bosse U, Mersch B, Wassmann K. C-myc, not HER-2/neu, can predict recurrence and mortality of patients with node-negative breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res 2003; 5:R30-6. [PMID: 12631396 PMCID: PMC154146 DOI: 10.1186/bcr568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2002] [Revised: 11/27/2002] [Accepted: 12/09/2002] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND At present, node-negative, high-risk breast cancer patients cannot be identified with sufficient accuracy. Consequently, further strong prognostic factors are needed. METHODS Among 181 node-negative breast cancer (NNBC) patients, c-myc and HER-2/neu oncogenes were identified prospectively using double differential PCR. The possible impact of amplification of those oncogenes on disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival was examined. Furthermore, the possible effects of adjuvant therapies on rate of recurrence and mortality in oncogene-amplified NNBC patients were investigated. RESULTS The prevalence rates for amplification of c-myc and HER-2/neu were 21.5% and 30.4%, respectively. On univariate analysis, c-myc-amplified NNBCs were associated with significantly shorter DFS at 36 months after the initial diagnosis (85.3% versus 97.3%). As compared with nonamplified cancers, HER-2/neu-amplified NNBCs did not exhibit any significant differences after 36 months and 95 months. Multivariate analysis indicated that c-myc amplification and tumour size, in contrast to HER-2/neu amplification, oestrogen receptor status, grading and age, were the only independent parameters for DFS. During the period of observation, we found no evidence for an impact of amplification of the oncogenes on overall survival in all cases. With respect to various adjuvant systemic therapies such as chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil; fluorouracil, epirubicin, cyclophosphamide) and endocrine therapy (tamoxifen), no significant differences were identified in oncogene-amplified NNBC patients in terms of DFS and overall survival. However, those c-myc-amplified NNBC patients who did not receive adjuvant systemic therapy exhibited significantly shorter DFS and overall survival as compared with c-myc-nonamplified patients. CONCLUSION C-myc amplification appears to be a strong prognostic marker with which to predict early recurrence in NNBC patients. C-myc-amplified NNBC patients without adjuvant systemic therapy experienced shorter DFS and overall survival.
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Timms JF, White SL, O'Hare MJ, Waterfield MD. Effects of ErbB-2 overexpression on mitogenic signalling and cell cycle progression in human breast luminal epithelial cells. Oncogene 2002; 21:6573-86. [PMID: 12242655 DOI: 10.1038/sj.onc.1205847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2002] [Revised: 06/12/2002] [Accepted: 07/05/2002] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Most breast cancers arise from luminal epithelial cells and 25-30% of these tumours overexpress the ErbB-2 receptor. Herein, a non-transformed, immortalized cell system was used to investigate the effects of ErbB-2 overexpression in luminal epithelial cells. The phenotypic consequence of ErbB-2 overexpression is a shortening of the G1 phase of the cell cycle and early S phase entry, which leads to hyperproliferation. We show that this effect was mediated through the up-regulation of cdk6 and cyclins D1 and E, and enhanced degradation and relocalization of p27(Kip1). These changes were effected predominantly through enhanced MAPK signalling, resulting in cdk2 hyperactivation. PI3K signalling also participated in cell cycle progression, since PI3K and MAPK coordinately regulated changes in cyclin D1 and cdk6 expression. Cdk4 activity was not required for cell cycle progression in these cells, and was constitutively inhibited through its association with p16(INK4A). MAPK-dependent induction of p21(Cip1) was also necessary for G1 phase progression, although its degradation by the proteasome was required for S phase entry. These data provide new insights into the complex molecular mechanisms underlying mitogenic cell cycle control in luminal epithelial cells, the cell type relevant to primary breast cancer, and show how ErbB-2 overexpression subverts this normal control.
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Affiliation(s)
- John F Timms
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, 91 Riding House Street, London W1W 7BS, UK.
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Hulit J, Lee RJ, Russell RG, Pestell RG. ErbB-2-induced mammary tumor growth: the role of cyclin D1 and p27Kip1. Biochem Pharmacol 2002; 64:827-36. [PMID: 12213576 DOI: 10.1016/s0006-2952(02)01145-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The neu (c-erbB-2, HER2) proto-oncogene encodes a receptor tyrosine kinase that is a member of an important growth factor receptor family which includes the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR, ErbB1), ErbB3 and ErbB4. The neu is found over-expressed in 20-30% of human breast tumors. The c-erbB-2 is sufficient for the induction of mammary tumorigenesis in transgenic mice and the pathology of these mammary tumors strongly resembles human breast cancer. Murine transgenic models engineered to recapitulate human breast cancer provide an excellent and straightforward approach to dissect the molecular mechanisms governing the onset and progression of this disease. The molecular mechanisms by which ErbB-2 transforms cells involves direct effects on components of the cell-cycle regulatory apparatus. Recent studies have demonstrated a key role for components of the cell-cycle, in particular cyclin D1 and p27Kip1 (p27) in the onset and progression of ErbB-2-induced murine mammary tumorigenesis. Such studies have provided further impetus to therapeutics targeting these cell-cycle proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Hulit
- The Albert Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center, Division of Hormone-Dependent Tumor Biology, Department of Medicine, Chanin 302, 1300 Morris Park Ave., Bronx, NY 10461, USA
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25
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Rosner A, Miyoshi K, Landesman-Bollag E, Xu X, Seldin DC, Moser AR, MacLeod CL, Shyamala G, Gillgrass AE, Cardiff RD. Pathway pathology: histological differences between ErbB/Ras and Wnt pathway transgenic mammary tumors. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2002; 161:1087-97. [PMID: 12213737 PMCID: PMC1867237 DOI: 10.1016/s0002-9440(10)64269-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
To study phenotype-genotype correlations, ErbB/Ras pathway tumors (transgenic for ErbB2, c-Neu, mutants of c-Neu, polyomavirus middle T antigene (PyV-mT), Ras, and bi-transgenic for ErbB2/Neu with ErbB3 and with progesterone receptor) from four different institutions were histopathologically compared with Wnt pathway tumors [transgenes Wnt1, Wnt10b, dominant-negative glycogen synthase kinase 3-beta, beta-Catenin, and spontaneous mutants of adenomatous polyposis coli gene (Apc)]. ErbB/Ras pathway tumors tend to form solid nodules consisting of poorly differentiated cells with abundant cytoplasm. ErbB/Ras pathway tumors also have scanty stroma and lack myoepithelial or squamous differentiation. In contrast, Wnt pathway tumors exhibit myoepithelial, acinar, or glandular differentiation, and, frequently, combinations of these. Squamous metaplasia is frequent and may include transdifferentiation to epidermal and pilar structures. Most Wnt pathway tumors form caricatures of elongated, branched ductules, and have well-developed stroma, inflammatory infiltrates, and pushing margins. Tumors transgenic for interacting genes such as protein kinase CK2alpha (casein kinase IIalpha), and the fibroblast growth factors (Fgf) Int2/Fgf3 or keratinocyte growth factor (Kgf/Fgf7) also have the Wnt pathway phenotype. Because the tumors from the ErbB/Ras and the Wnt pathway are so distinct and can be readily identified using routine hematoxylin and eosin sections, we suggest that pathway pathology is applicable in both basic and clinical cancer research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Rosner
- Center for Comparative Medicine, University of California, Davis 95616, USA
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Neve RM, Holbro T, Hynes NE. Distinct roles for phosphoinositide 3-kinase, mitogen-activated protein kinase and p38 MAPK in mediating cell cycle progression of breast cancer cells. Oncogene 2002; 21:4567-76. [PMID: 12085235 DOI: 10.1038/sj.onc.1205555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2001] [Revised: 03/20/2002] [Accepted: 03/27/2002] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Addition of the ErbB-ligand, Heregulinbeta1 (HRG), to breast tumour-derived T47D cells promotes D-cyclin expression, p21(cip1) synthesis, cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) activation through re-distribution of p27(kip1) and DNA synthesis. In contrast EGF has no effect on T47D cell cycle progression. By comparing these two ligands and the use of specific inhibitors for phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and p38MAPK, we have identified several molecular mechanisms required for ErbB receptor-mediated proliferation. The PI3K, MAPK and p38MAPK pathways each displayed distinct activation profiles in response to either HRG or EGF, with obvious differences in both the intensity and duration of signal output. Through inhibition of each of these pathways it is apparent that each pathway is necessary, yet insufficient alone, to stimulate proliferation. Each pathway regulates distinct subsets of essential cell cycle regulators and integration of these signal networks is required for the timely expression of these components, which culminates in cell cycle progression. Significantly, the mechanisms controlling ligand-stimulated proliferation through ErbB2 are strikingly similar to the mechanisms through which overexpressed, constitutively activated, ErbB2 orchestrates uncontrolled proliferation in cancer cells. This suggests that downstream effectors of ErbB receptors represent good therapeutic targets for breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard M Neve
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, UCSF San Francisco and Buck Institute, Novato, California 94945, USA.
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